sweet2ndchance Posted December 12, 2023 Share Posted December 12, 2023 I'll use some of it for tonight's dinner but what else can I do with the rest of it so it doesn't go to waste? Does precooked chicken freeze well? Soups don't go over well here, what else can I do that's easy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saraha Posted December 12, 2023 Share Posted December 12, 2023 I freeze uncooked portions in ziplock bags. I put two in each one, toss in the freezer, done. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweet2ndchance Posted December 12, 2023 Author Share Posted December 12, 2023 (edited) It was previously frozen and accidentally put in the fridge by a helpful dh. lol Can I refreeze? Edited December 12, 2023 by sweet2ndchance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katy Posted December 12, 2023 Share Posted December 12, 2023 I precook it by baking, 350F for 20-55 minutes, depending on size & if they’re frozen. I portion into smaller bags and freeze the smaller bags in a 1-2 gallon ziplock bag. It freezes well & works in any situation you use cooked chicken. 2 tips: squeeze as much air out of the bags as possible to avoid freezer burn, and pull them out to thaw in the fridge the day before if you think of it. Otherwise you might find the overzealous microwave it far too long to get as hot as they want, and then it becomes tough & stringy. User error rather than a problem with freezing. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitestavern Posted December 12, 2023 Share Posted December 12, 2023 Make pulled chicken then freeze for tacos, sandwiches, hash, etc. This crockpot butter chicken is great: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/174543/slow-cooker-butter-chicken/ 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitestavern Posted December 12, 2023 Share Posted December 12, 2023 9 minutes ago, sweet2ndchance said: It was previously frozen and accidentally put in the fridge by a helpful dh. lol Can I refreeze? No - defrosted foods should not be refrozen, but if you cook it, it can be. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted December 12, 2023 Share Posted December 12, 2023 Meat heavy dishes will use up the most in one sitting. Shredded BBQ chicken sandwiches Chicken salad sandwiches (similar to tuna) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clemsondana Posted December 12, 2023 Share Posted December 12, 2023 (edited) I would cook part of it to use for lunches in whatever way your family will eat it - chicken salad, roasted and sliced for salads, shredded BBQ chicken that can easily be reheated. Cooked chicken is fine to chop or shred and freeze for casseroles, or BBQ chicken portions that can be reheated quickly for sandwiches. Last week I bought a bunch of chicken and made http://chefmommy-brandao.blogspot.com/search?q=Salsa+chicken with a few pounds, made chicken salad with some more, and then made a big pot of white chicken chili https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/white-turkey-chili/ . I have sporty teens so we go through a lot of food, but when they were younger I would have done this and then cooked some to freeze. Edited December 12, 2023 by Clemsondana 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted December 12, 2023 Share Posted December 12, 2023 (edited) 37 minutes ago, sweet2ndchance said: It was previously frozen and accidentally put in the fridge by a helpful dh. lol Can I refreeze? No, you should cook it at this point. When I'm feeling really lazy, I just throw it all in a crockpot or instant pot with onion or cans of soup. Creamed chicken is a thing here, and you can serve it on bread, turn it into casseroles, thin to turn it into soup. The sauce will protect it in the freezer. I store my cooked chicken, turkey, taco meat, etc. like this in quart freezer bags, labeled, and stacked by type. What do you like to eat? Would you like it as chicken enchilada meat? You can just make it easy and cook it down with onions, shred, boom done. You could also throw it in the food processor and grind it for meatballs, yum. You could bake off the meatballs, freeze individuall, then throw them in sauce, anything for quick meals. You could fry some of that ground chicken for lettuce wraps, using hoisin sauce, celery, etc. Edited December 12, 2023 by PeterPan 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweet2ndchance Posted December 12, 2023 Author Share Posted December 12, 2023 15 minutes ago, PeterPan said: What do you like to eat? Would you like it as chicken enchilada meat? That's the thing, I have two incredibly picky eaters (dh and ds) and I have food allergies (tomato and shellfish). Makes it hard to make lots of dishes as is. Feels like we are in a rut dinner wise. 😕 I have two crockpots, a 6qt and an 8qt. I'm thinking maybe white chili in one and plain shredded chicken in the other. If I have more than will fit in the crock pots, then I'll bake the rest. I'll make some bbq sauce (tomato free) for pulled bbq chicken. What else can I make with the shredded chicken? Last month I made and froze portions of chicken noodle soup and chicken tortilla soup (again tomato free) for me since I'm the only one who will eat soup. I can sub roasted red pepper puree for tomato sauce in most recipes. Just need some ideas lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutTN Posted December 12, 2023 Share Posted December 12, 2023 Cook it in your crockpot, for sure. Use some broth, veggies, and seasonings so it’s tasty. Chx pot pie is a huge winter favorite here! Seconding enchiladas. Also chx salad. Chx with pasta and either pesto or alfredo is quick and easy. Poppyseed chx is also easy and yummy. I like the recipe on Spend With Pennies. My peeps will eat cooked chx in a warm grain bowl with veggies. Can be made with a variety of seasonings; asian and middle eastern are popular here. Good for using up odds n ends. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweet2ndchance Posted December 12, 2023 Author Share Posted December 12, 2023 Got both crockpots going now. It all fit! 😆 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bootsie Posted December 12, 2023 Share Posted December 12, 2023 I try not to freeze cooked chicken by itself becasue I find I do not like the texture when I defrost. I try to freeze the chicken in a little bit of chicken broth or some type of sauce. Or, I make a recipe using chicken that freezes well. I might make chicken tetrazzini, chicken enchiladas, chicken gumbo, white chilli, sweet and sour chicken, etc and freeze it. Or, I might freeze diced, cooked chicken in some green salsa to use in chicken enchiladas if I don't have all of the enchilada ingredients on hand or don't have time to make the enchiladas today (or am trying to conserve freezer space). 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmasc Posted December 12, 2023 Share Posted December 12, 2023 We love this BBQ recipe. It’s easy, flavorful, and yummy. We serve it with coleslaw, either on or off the sandwich. 🙂 This might not work depending on your weather, but this taco recipe is my family’s other favorite use of chicken breast. Don’t skip the lime if you make it! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaybee Posted December 12, 2023 Share Posted December 12, 2023 17 minutes ago, Bootsie said: I try not to freeze cooked chicken by itself becasue I find I do not like the texture when I defrost. I try to freeze the chicken in a little bit of chicken broth or some type of sauce. Or, I make a recipe using chicken that freezes well. I might make chicken tetrazzini, chicken enchiladas, chicken gumbo, white chilli, sweet and sour chicken, etc and freeze it. Or, I might freeze diced, cooked chicken in some green salsa to use in chicken enchiladas if I don't have all of the enchilada ingredients on hand or don't have time to make the enchiladas today (or am trying to conserve freezer space). Yes, I do this. I sometimes buy the big packs of breasts and just throw it all in a pot, then cut it up into bite-sized pieces. I will put two cups of chicken with a little of the broth in quart ziplock bags, and then pull them out as needed to use in various recipes. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmasc Posted December 12, 2023 Share Posted December 12, 2023 2 hours ago, sweet2ndchance said: That's the thing, I have two incredibly picky eaters (dh and ds) and I have food allergies (tomato and shellfish). Makes it hard to make lots of dishes as is. Feels like we are in a rut dinner wise. 😕 I have two crockpots, a 6qt and an 8qt. I'm thinking maybe white chili in one and plain shredded chicken in the other. If I have more than will fit in the crock pots, then I'll bake the rest. I'll make some bbq sauce (tomato free) for pulled bbq chicken. What else can I make with the shredded chicken? Last month I made and froze portions of chicken noodle soup and chicken tortilla soup (again tomato free) for me since I'm the only one who will eat soup. I can sub roasted red pepper puree for tomato sauce in most recipes. Just need some ideas lol. Just saw that you’re doing shredded chicken. One very easy recipe my picky eaters like is taquitos/flautas. Take burrito sized tortillas and cut in half. Along the long, cut side layer shredded chicken and shredded cheese. Roll up tightly towards the other side. Put seem side down on a baking sheet. Spray with cooking spray. Bake at 350-ish for 15-ish minutes (until they get a little brown and crispy. Serve with guacamole, salsa, sour cream, refried beans, etc. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heartstrings Posted December 12, 2023 Share Posted December 12, 2023 I usually buy 10 lbs at a time. Sort it into bags based on how much you usually eat in a meal and freeze it in the bags. When you need chicken just thaw a bag and cook as usual. I don’t like it pre cooked, it gets a weird flavor and texture. Freezing it raw then thawing is just like buying it from the store. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweet2ndchance Posted December 12, 2023 Author Share Posted December 12, 2023 10 minutes ago, Heartstrings said: Freezing it raw then thawing is just like buying it from the store. Problem is I bought it frozen and it accidentally got put in the fridge instead of the freezer. I didn't notice it was in there until I saw the puddle of chicken juice leaking from the bag this morning 🤢 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heartstrings Posted December 12, 2023 Share Posted December 12, 2023 2 minutes ago, sweet2ndchance said: Problem is I bought it frozen and it accidentally got put in the fridge instead of the freezer. I didn't notice it was in there until I saw the puddle of chicken juice leaking from the bag this morning 🤢 Yuck. I usually have the opposite problem, my husband will throw the whole 10 lb. pack of chicken in the freezer instead of the fridge and I have to figure out how to deal with that. I have no idea where he learned to do that but apparently 20 years isn’t long enough to unlearn it. 🤣 2 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forget-Me-Not Posted December 12, 2023 Share Posted December 12, 2023 Can you double the white chili and freeze half? My white chili recipe freezes beautifully. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halftime Hope Posted December 12, 2023 Share Posted December 12, 2023 I find that if I freeze several cooked breasts in the broth they made while cooking (boiling with spices to taste), the texture is not a problem. It takes a bit more to thaw the block of chicken and broth, but it keeps the texture from becoming 'weird'. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweet2ndchance Posted December 12, 2023 Author Share Posted December 12, 2023 13 minutes ago, Forget-Me-Not said: Can you double the white chili and freeze half? My white chili recipe freezes beautifully. I just made a single batch but there will probably be a couple of servings left to freeze. 👍 I can't remember who posted about them but I bought these about 6 months ago after reading about them here on the boards and they have been in constant use here freezing single portions of soup and leftovers. Last month I stocked my fridge with 4 different kinds of soup for me frozen in those single serve blocks. It takes 3 minutes in my microwave to go from solid block of ice to hot bowl of homemade soup. 😄 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweet2ndchance Posted December 12, 2023 Author Share Posted December 12, 2023 Got a batch of nomato ketchup and nomato bbq sauce made. So bbq chicken sandwiches and chicken hurry (made with the ketchup) are going to be happening here in the next week or so. 👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clemsondana Posted December 12, 2023 Share Posted December 12, 2023 Fajitas? if you try the salsa chicken, you can probably substitute other salsas (like peach salsa) - I know I made it once with some sort of green salsa and it was fine. My chicken casserole recipe is 6-8 shredded chicken breasts, 3 c cooked rice, 3 cans cream-of-something soup, 1 c mayo, 1 s sour cream - mix, top with cracker crumbs and dot with butter, bake. I have several people in my orbit who love it, whose wives or moms say to not tell them what is in it. Funny enough, it's basically the salsa chicken recipe, with may subbed for salsa. Chicken and dumplings is also good, and there are lots of chicken pie variations so you might be able to find something that your family will eat. I am blessed with 2 kiddos and a spouse who will eat almost anything, with the difficulty being that they could easily eat 8 pounds of chicken in 2 days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweet2ndchance Posted December 12, 2023 Author Share Posted December 12, 2023 1 minute ago, Clemsondana said: I am blessed with 2 kiddos and a spouse who will eat almost anything, with the difficulty being that they could easily eat 8 pounds of chicken in 2 days. When my adult children were still at home we could definitely go through 8lbs of chicken in a meal or two. Now that it is just me, dh and our youngest at home, 8lbs of chicken goes a whole lot further lol. I've had to relearn how to cook now that it doesn't feel like I'm cooking for an army. I used to make chicken and dumplings in a huge roasting pan so that everyone could have seconds. Now, I'm the only one here who likes dumplings so I rarely make it anymore. I wish dh and ds were more adventurous eaters sometimes. 🙄 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forget-Me-Not Posted December 12, 2023 Share Posted December 12, 2023 1 hour ago, sweet2ndchance said: I just made a single batch but there will probably be a couple of servings left to freeze. 👍 I can't remember who posted about them but I bought these about 6 months ago after reading about them here on the boards and they have been in constant use here freezing single portions of soup and leftovers. Last month I stocked my fridge with 4 different kinds of soup for me frozen in those single serve blocks. It takes 3 minutes in my microwave to go from solid block of ice to hot bowl of homemade soup. 😄 ooh those are awesome! Thanks for sharing! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted December 12, 2023 Share Posted December 12, 2023 For next time: https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/food-safety-basics/freezing-and-food-safety#:~:text=Refreezing,to freeze the cooked foods. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toocrazy!! Posted December 12, 2023 Share Posted December 12, 2023 2 hours ago, sweet2ndchance said: I just made a single batch but there will probably be a couple of servings left to freeze. 👍 I can't remember who posted about them but I bought these about 6 months ago after reading about them here on the boards and they have been in constant use here freezing single portions of soup and leftovers. Last month I stocked my fridge with 4 different kinds of soup for me frozen in those single serve blocks. It takes 3 minutes in my microwave to go from solid block of ice to hot bowl of homemade soup. 😄 I just ordered some too. Thanks! Those look great. I love soup and how awesome to have a couple bowls to mix it up. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted December 12, 2023 Share Posted December 12, 2023 I put mine in the crockpot (or pressure cooker) with seasoning, peppers, and a jar of salsa for tacos, quesadillas, or burritos. I’ve even frozen burritos. My people like chicken and dumplings, chicken salad (regular or curried), a chicken cordon blue casserole, chicken strips, chicken Parmesan (or piccata, chicken and rice casserole with cheese and broccoli. You can do a lot with it, including precooking, shredding, and deciding later. If you have a sous vide it’s a great way to precook chicken to stash for later use. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted December 12, 2023 Share Posted December 12, 2023 6 hours ago, sweet2ndchance said: I just made a single batch but there will probably be a couple of servings left to freeze. 👍 I can't remember who posted about them but I bought these about 6 months ago after reading about them here on the boards and they have been in constant use here freezing single portions of soup and leftovers. Last month I stocked my fridge with 4 different kinds of soup for me frozen in those single serve blocks. It takes 3 minutes in my microwave to go from solid block of ice to hot bowl of homemade soup. 😄 I either told you about them or found out from the same person you did. I can’t shut up about that thing. I have blocks of everything in my freezer 🤣 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El... Posted December 13, 2023 Share Posted December 13, 2023 Cooked, shredded chicken makes a really nice quesadilla if you put a little BBQ sauce and a little Frank's hot sauce in with the chicken and cheese. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.